Emile Gruppé (1896-1978), Sunny Day, Gloucester, oil on canvas, 30” x 36”
CAPE ANN COLLECTORS solstice weekend celebration, “Palette to Palate,” December 20-21, 1-5 p.m., toasts our newly acquired Emile Gruppé masterpiece, “Sunny Day, Gloucester,” with seasonal cheer and a special wine pairing. Additional pairings showcase outstanding works by Cape Ann masters’ Lester Stevens, Frederick Mulhaupt and John Cordich.
Sail on by CAPE ANN COLLECTORS December 20-21 for solstice renewal, refreshment, and good tidings (all 54-master works on full display).
We’re collecting NEW, unwrapped toys for children of all ages. Every donation—big or small—makes a meaningful difference for a child who deserves to feel the joy of the holidays.
Toy Drive Details 📅 Date: Saturday, December 6, 2025 ⏰ Time: 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM 📍 Location: Foster’s Grill Store, 107 Eastern Ave., Gloucester, MA 01930 🎄 Supported By: Gloucester IDRC
Just swing by, drop off a toy, and help us fill our van with holiday cheer! Your generosity directly supports the incredible work Pathways for Children does every day to uplift families in our community.
Thank you in advance for helping us make this Christmas brighter for those who need it most. ❤️ If you are able to donate an hour of your time to collect gifts and help load them into the van just reach out to Ashley at ashleylynsmith89@gmail.com.
Warm Holiday Wishes, IDRC Board
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What a fun weekend we have to look forward to around town Saturday and Sunday Dec 6-7! The St. Peter’s Club is sponsoring a Cookie Contest Saturday at 6 PM (club open to public). Get your ticket ballot for $10 restricted to 100 total tickets in order to vote on your favorite cookies. This benefits the scholarship fund so it’s a win-win.
Kent Circle parade and tree lighting to be held Sunday. Santa visits the Magnolia Library Sunday also. Also Saturday Holiday Fair Sip and Shop at the Elks! Join in the holiday fun! (*don’t sleep on the Serenitee Restaurant week…check out Minglewood for their Restaurant Week special*) Don’t forget the free 2 hour parking in 2 downtown zones.
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Thanks to MA for making the delicious chocolate candies and to Backdoor Jimmy for manning the refreshment station and of course our awesome customers that made the night so much fun!
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Martha Oaks, the Henrietta Gates & Heaton Robertson Chief Curator at the Cape Ann Museum.
Image Courtesy of the Cape Ann Museum.
GLOUCESTER, MASS. (December 4, 2025) – After decades of shaping the Cape Ann Museum’s collections and exhibitions, Chief Curator Martha Oaks has announced plans to retire at the end of 2026. The announcement comes nearly one year after a transformative gift endowed the Chief Curator position within the institution.
“Martha’s superlative engagement at the Museum, and her commitment to excellence and scholarship, have been paramount to the Museum’s development as one of the best regional museums in this country,” said the Cape Ann Museum Director, Oliver Barker.
The Chief Curator position was created in 2020 in honor of Oaks’ multi-decade commitment to stewarding the art and history of Cape Ann as a singularly unique place. In December 2024, the position was generously endowed by Henrietta Gates and Heaton Robertson. Prior to 2020, Oaks served as Curator of the Museum from 1981 to 1990 and 2007 to 2019.
During her tenure, Oaks organized numerous exhibitions exploring the history of Cape Ann and the artists who have lived and worked in the area including sculptors Walker Hancock and George Demetrios, and painters Marsden Hartley, Frank Duveneck, John Sloan, Milton Avery, Umberto Romano and Margaret Fitzhugh Browne. She also curated numerous thematic exhibitions exploring topics including the history of the Rocky Neck and Rockport art colonies during the mid-20th century, women artists of Cape Ann, the Folly Cove Designers, the lure of the family-owned fishing vessel, and the architectural firm of Phillips & Holloran.
Oaks also worked with many contemporary artists and artisans, curating exhibitions for painters Jeff Weaver, Roger Martin, Judi Rotenberg and Charles Movalli; printmaker Don Gorvett; organ and harpsichord maker Jeremy Adams; and furniture maker Jay McLaughlan. She holds an M.A. in American and New England Studies from Boston University and a B.A. from Colby College.
Museum Director Oliver Barker; artist Jeff Weaver and Kathy Weaver; Assistant Curator Leon Doucette; and Chief Curator Martha Oaks at the May 2023 opening of “This Unique Place: Paintings & Drawings by Jeff Weaver” at Cape Ann Museum. Image courtesy of the Cape Ann Museum.
As Chief Curator, Oaks managed the Museum’s Collections Team, who is responsible for the care, development and interpretation of the Museum’s extensive collections, including its library and archives and four historic colonial structures. Oaks has contributed to Fitz Henry Lane Online, a digital resource and catalogue raisonné focusing on American marine artist Fitz Henry Lane, and is presently overseeing the digitization of the Museum’s collections.
Reflecting on her decades of service to the Cape Ann Museum, Oaks said “…working at the Museum has been a joy and an honor. Cape Ann and the region are fortunate to have such a wonderful organization at their disposal, and I look forward to watching it continue to grow and thrive in the future.”
In recognition of Oaks’ longstanding service to the Museum and its nationally significant collections, the Museum will appoint Oaks as Curator Emerita following her retirement.
Cape Ann Museum is launching a nationwide search to fill the dynamic Chief Curator position. More details about the opportunity can be found here.
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Join us on Sunday, December 14th for our beloved Santa at Sea cruises! We have three special sailings to make your holiday magical.
Choose your perfect holiday adventure:
Magical Morning with Santa (11:00AM – 12:30PM) Our Sensory-Friendly Sail! Enjoy a calm and magical morning with St. Nick without any loud music or DJs.
Beauport Cruiselines Classic (2:00PM – 3:30PM) Our classic Santa at Sea experience! Get festive with holiday tunes, beautiful afternoon views, and all the Christmas cheer you can handle.
Beauport Cruiselines Express (5:00PM – 6:30PM) All aboard for our Holly Jolly PJ Sail! Put on your coziest pajamas, sip cocoa, and enjoy the sparkling lights on the water.
We’re proud to support the Cape Ann Kids Holiday Fund! Please consider bringing a new, unwrapped toy to donate and spread the joy.
What’s included:
1 1/2 Hour Harbor Cruise Pictures with Santa Hot Cocoa & Cookies Reading of “The Night Before Christmas” (Sails 1 & 2) Reading of “The Polar Express” (Sail 3) DJ Entertainment (Sails 2 & 3)
As many ofyou know, we have been travelling the past week or so. Upon each return from trips like this, I find myself eager to visit ALL the restaurants in town! So we start our rotation over again and this time we started at Stones Pub on Main St. It was daylight at 7 PM the last time we were in there, so it was way past time.
I had the wing special which was Carolina BBQ wings….OUTSTANDING. Just the right amount of tang and zip. I’ll order those again in a second. Jim had been wanting one of their infamous peanut butter bacon burgers and he was very full when we left. I topped the meal off with an Irish coffee, a logical choice for this Irish pub. Great service, yummy food AND football on the TVS….(two out of three isn’t bad…..)
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This Saturday, December 6th, Operation Keep Gloucester Warm returns to Trinity Church with free coats and winter essentials for anyone in our community who needs them.
We need your help to get the word out — please share this flyer far and wide!
Post it, text it, send it to a friend, hang it at work… every share helps a neighbor stay warm all winter long.
Thank you to our amazing volunteers, partners, and donors who’ve been showing up with so much kindness this season. This community makes magic happen.
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Good Morning Gloucester 